1st Hellenic Conference on Early Language Learning First Steps to Multilingualism: The Greek Programme of English for Young Learners Anavyssos, Greece June 14-16 2013Presentation of the project "My f@cebook stories"
Our friend Orfeas goes to Paris! Have a nice time there, Orfea!
Click here to read the story we made for him!
The project was presented at the British Council Web Conference on 10/2/13
Title: MyF@cebοοk stories
Level: C class Primary Age: 8 Duration: 2 months. Pupils will work on the project for one teaching session per week. Project general description-contextual information
The idea of the project derives from the desire to address a two-fold need of my C grade pupils. First, as their English teacher, I would like to provide them a real purpose to use and progress in L2. Secondly, my intention is to add to their mainstream curriculum teacher’s attempt to solve behavioral issues in the class. The audience in question consists of 16 eight-year-old children. Pupils at this age often experience moments of behavior outbursts and they are often asked to handle conflict situations. The idea that the project might give them the right framework within which they will learn to express and record their feelings in a playful and motivating way and therefore serve as a “let-off-steam activity” sounds quite tempting and worth-trying.
Pupils will be guided though activities to produce an e-book with short stories focusing on the emotional status of a person who is: happy, angry, sad, , bored, scared, surprised, taking into consideration that these are the most dominant feelings at this age level.
It is expected that pupils will be able to work on one-based story per week. Each time a story is complete pupils will add relevant material to their “Facebook-portfolio”. On completion of the material pupils will be also asked to assess their work and present it to their parents. Aim: The pupils will learn to use relevant language and create a digital short-story collection based on children’s emotions and feelings. Objectives (following Bloom's taxonomy)
Cognitive objectives
• Pupils will recall their past experiences
• The pupils will name the way they feel in L2
• Children will be asked to label visual material connected with emotions
• They will classify feelings by using charts
• After having understood what each adjective describes they will have to categorise them into groups of positive and negative notions
• They will match adjectives to emotions
Affective objectives
• Children will listen to others expressing feeling in English
• They will communicate their personal psychological status in written and spoken English
• They will adopt a positive attitude towards other people’s emotional state and encourage their peers to express themselves in English (empathy)
• They will appropriately assess any verbal or non-verbal communication they have during the sessions
• They will hopefully solve conflicts in a playful way using L2
Psychomotor objectives
• They will prepare material for their portfolio
• They will participate actively in the building of a story (use the computer, choose material, explore "storybird" tool)
Tools
A digital story telling tool like “Storybird” will be used for the making of the story book with one or two-page stories collection. Additionally, QR codes tool can be used in children’s portfolio (a similar collection of their paintings based on the adjectives seen above which they will keep and use as an evaluation tool). A QR code might escort each painting to display the character’s feelings.
www.classdojo.com may be used for classroom management purposes. Implementation
As stated, children will spend at least 12 teaching sessions focusing on the understanding and use of adjectives or any other language used to express emotions. The teacher will try to trigger discussion on a different emotion by using realia such as photos, flashcards or pictures depicting people who are in a certain mood.
After that the class will be guided towards the making of a short plot which will be the script of a story. At the end of each session children will be assigned the task to create their version of the story in painting with a view to put this in the portfolio. It is expected that paintings will be accompanied by messages like: This is Peter, my friend. He is sad today. His dad isn’t at home.
Anticipated problems
No major problems are really anticipated but given the context of this particular class this is an account of what might go wrong and what remedy action is proposed:
A certain pupil might be overenthusiastic and attempt to dominate the discussion topic and interfere with the process. A solution could be to ask him to handle the computer material and present it to the other pupils (help the teacher change the pages, etc). Moreover, the use of music background while the teacher introduces the topic has been used in the past with quite successful calming effects.
Children may try to impose their opinions onto others, talk extensively about their own experiences or even ignore others. That’s why short and clear instructions must be given beforehand and be reminded of in case of an incident. Reminders like “Stop and think”, “Wait for your turn”, “Listen to others” can be put up on the English corner and be pointed at when necessary.
Result
Children’s portfolio with their paintings and their version of “My Facebook and other stories”
A digital story collection
Evaluation
Apart from the self- assessment portfolio two other kinds of evaluation will be used:
Formative: Children will present their work in progress and give and receive feedback. Changes will be made so that their portfolio work is of good aesthetics quality. The teacher will make any necessary changes in the planning of the work so that the project is implemented successfully within the time limits. Summative: On completion of the project, the children’s parents will be invited in class and presented the work. They will be asked to evaluate the products by putting a happy or sad face on a chart.
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1st Hellenic Conference on Early Language Learning
First Steps to Multilingualism: The Greek Programme of English for Young Learners
Anavyssos, Greece June 14-16 2013Presentation of the project "My f@cebook stories"
Our friend Orfeas goes to Paris! Have a nice time there, Orfea!
Click here to read the story we made for him!
The project was presented at the British Council Web Conference on 10/2/13
Title: MyF@cebοοk stories
Level: C class PrimaryAge: 8
Duration: 2 months. Pupils will work on the project for one teaching session per week.
Project general description-contextual information
The idea of the project derives from the desire to address a two-fold need of my C grade pupils. First, as their English teacher, I would like to provide them a real purpose to use and progress in L2. Secondly, my intention is to add to their mainstream curriculum teacher’s attempt to solve behavioral issues in the class. The audience in question consists of 16 eight-year-old children. Pupils at this age often experience moments of behavior outbursts and they are often asked to handle conflict situations. The idea that the project might give them the right framework within which they will learn to express and record their feelings in a playful and motivating way and therefore serve as a “let-off-steam activity” sounds quite tempting and worth-trying.
Pupils will be guided though activities to produce an e-book with short stories focusing on the emotional status of a person who is: happy, angry, sad, , bored, scared, surprised, taking into consideration that these are the most dominant feelings at this age level.
It is expected that pupils will be able to work on one-based story per week. Each time a story is complete pupils will add relevant material to their “Facebook-portfolio”. On completion of the material pupils will be also asked to assess their work and present it to their parents.
Aim: The pupils will learn to use relevant language and create a digital short-story collection based on children’s emotions and feelings.
Cognitive objectives
• Pupils will recall their past experiences
• The pupils will name the way they feel in L2
• Children will be asked to label visual material connected with emotions
• They will classify feelings by using charts
• After having understood what each adjective describes they will have to categorise them into groups of positive and negative notions
• They will match adjectives to emotions
Affective objectives
• Children will listen to others expressing feeling in English
• They will communicate their personal psychological status in written and spoken English
• They will adopt a positive attitude towards other people’s emotional state and encourage their peers to express themselves in English (empathy)
• They will appropriately assess any verbal or non-verbal communication they have during the sessions
• They will hopefully solve conflicts in a playful way using L2
Psychomotor objectives
• They will prepare material for their portfolio
• They will participate actively in the building of a story (use the computer, choose material, explore "storybird" tool)
Tools
A digital story telling tool like “Storybird” will be used for the making of the story book with one or two-page stories collection. Additionally, QR codes tool can be used in children’s portfolio (a similar collection of their paintings based on the adjectives seen above which they will keep and use as an evaluation tool). A QR code might escort each painting to display the character’s feelings.
www.classdojo.com may be used for classroom management purposes.
Implementation
As stated, children will spend at least 12 teaching sessions focusing on the understanding and use of adjectives or any other language used to express emotions. The teacher will try to trigger discussion on a different emotion by using realia such as photos, flashcards or pictures depicting people who are in a certain mood.
After that the class will be guided towards the making of a short plot which will be the script of a story. At the end of each session children will be assigned the task to create their version of the story in painting with a view to put this in the portfolio. It is expected that paintings will be accompanied by messages like:
This is Peter, my friend. He is sad today. His dad isn’t at home.
Anticipated problems
No major problems are really anticipated but given the context of this particular class this is an account of what might go wrong and what remedy action is proposed:
- A certain pupil might be overenthusiastic and attempt to dominate the discussion topic and interfere with the process. A solution could be to ask him to handle the computer material and present it to the other pupils (help the teacher change the pages, etc). Moreover, the use of music background while the teacher introduces the topic has been used in the past with quite successful calming effects.
- Children may try to impose their opinions onto others, talk extensively about their own experiences or even ignore others. That’s why short and clear instructions must be given beforehand and be reminded of in case of an incident. Reminders like “Stop and think”, “Wait for your turn”, “Listen to others” can be put up on the English corner and be pointed at when necessary.
Result- Children’s portfolio with their paintings and their version of “My Facebook and other stories”
- A digital story collection
EvaluationApart from the self- assessment portfolio two other kinds of evaluation will be used:
Formative: Children will present their work in progress and give and receive feedback. Changes will be made so that their portfolio work is of good aesthetics quality. The teacher will make any necessary changes in the planning of the work so that the project is implemented successfully within the time limits.
Summative: On completion of the project, the children’s parents will be invited in class and presented the work. They will be asked to evaluate the products by putting a happy or sad face on a chart.